Books

Green boards with bright gilt design and lettering. Color illustration of villa on front board. Gilt lettering on spine. Top edge gilt, other edges deckled. Staining to rear pastedown from glued-in newspapers clippings located on rear endpaper. Inscribed by John Kendrick Bangs to Lillian Russel (the actress). Full page color and black and white illustrations throughout.

Italian Villas and Their Gardens, written by Edith Wharton, provides a detailed discussion of the history, design, and character of Italian villa architecture and its accompanying gardens. Edith Wharton not only provides a scholarly perspective on the subject but also a personal narrative on how these spaces impacted her.